I left home at fifteen years of age with two black eyes and a loaded gun pointed at my face. In times past when he was in a rage, Mother would take us to a motel until the dust settled. That particular night she stood by her man and left me to figure out my own problem.
Rejection is experienced when a person or group of people exclude an individual and refuses to accept or acknowledge them. It is impossible to go through life without feeling rejection at some point.
Whether it was on the playground at school, our first love or even from a parent. The pain of rejection can leave deep scars in a person’s life. What do we do with that hurt? Do we close ourselves off or become bitter promising to never allow it to happen to us again? Do we allow that rejection to defeat us making us believe we are worthless, not as good as the next person?
Maybe you were born a boy and somewhere in your life you realized your mom wanted a little girl. She was all set to dress you in pink ribbons and bows and you felt she was disappointed in you. Possibly, you are the little girl your mom was longing for but your dad had his heart set on a boy, someone he could teach to fish, hunt and build things. Possibly your parents were not planning to have any more children and you were “surprise”. I have come to realize there are no surprises to God. Each of us are here by His design. Jeremiah 1:5 God toldJeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.”
I had a very painful relationship with my mother and for most of my life I felt that she couldn’t stand me. Needless to say it left deep scars. I wondered what was wrong with me. Even most animals love their young. Why couldn’t my mother love me? As I grew older I realized my dad’s emotional wounds from the war and the alcohol he used to mask his pain left Mother with little strength left to nurture a child. She was simply trying to survive.
I found comfort in Psalm 56:8 New Living Translation – You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. God Himself see our hurts, He cares. And He keeps our tears. He will comfort and heal us if we allow it. In my pain, He became a loving, nurturing Father to me.
Psalm 139:13 King David said, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb…My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.” God knit us together and He did not slip a stitch.
John 15:16, Jesus said, You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit.
Ephesians 1:4, For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
2 Thessalonians 2:13, But we ought always to thank God for you brothers
loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
Genesis 1:26, God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...
We are made in the very image of God. Not that we physically resemble Him, but that He created us to reflect Him in our spirit, our character.
Matthew 10:29 –31 Jesus said, Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid, you are worth more than many sparrows. Think of that! He knows the number of hairs on our head. I love my children and grandchildren but I have no idea of the numbers of hair on each of their heads. We are that important to God!
Our attorney friend has said that according to law an item or (an individual) is valued at whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it. If I have an old car with 300,000 miles on it that rattles as it goes down the street but someone is willing to pay $50,000 for it, then that is its value. That is what the car is worth.
What are you worth? You are of infinite value. God paid a very high price for you and for me. We were bought with a great price – the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Who do we choose to believe? God or those who have hurt us?
Today, think on this – regardless what others may think of us, what others may say about us, even if their rejection has cut us deeply, the truth is –
God, Who spoke and there was light, knows you by name and loves you!